Ivy Marketinghttp://ivymarketing.uk
Content is KingThu, 01 Mar 2018 18:44:17 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.5Infographic: The Best Times to Post on Social Mediahttp://ivymarketing.uk/infographic-best-times-post-social-media/
http://ivymarketing.uk/infographic-best-times-post-social-media/#respondThu, 01 Mar 2018 10:31:44 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=377Managing your social media accounts can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to social media marketing. While finding the topics, images and audiences to work with needs thought, so does the time in which you circulate your content. However, knowing the best time to post on social media can make the difference […]

]]>Managing your social media accounts can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to social media marketing. While finding the topics, images and audiences to work with needs thought, so does the time in which you circulate your content.

However, knowing the best time to post on social media can make the difference between one click and a hundred. Whilst it is easy to guess or choose a specific time, it is more effective to dig deeper into your audience and their behaviours, treating each social channel separately.

Below we’ve discussed each major network and what research suggests to be the best times to post on social media:

Best times to post on Facebook

Due to its 1.18 billion monthly active users, Facebook is regarded as the King of social media. Although, with the changing Facebook algorithm, it’s increasingly difficult to get your organic posts in front of each eye you want them to be seen by. Of course, this leads brands to be more strategic with what time of day they choose to post on the site. Facebook is certainly an active spot every day of the week, whilst others have fewer active days. It is for this reason that Facebook is kind of hard to get wrong when deciding on a time to post.

However, there are a few notable times, days and patterns which could give your business the upper hand. Some research has shown the following:

Thursday and Friday is said to be the best day to post on Facebook.

1:00-3:00pm is the most active time on both days.

The closer it gets to the weekend; the more people check out and check into Facebook.

Best times to post on Instagram

Data has shown that by the end of the year, more than 80% of brands will be on Instagram. Overall, this means that more companies are expected to be actively posting on Instagram than Twitter (67.2%). Eventhough brands are moving to Instagram, it’s important to put some though into what a company posts to their profile . Additionally, knowing the best times to post to Instagram could potentially make a difference to your marketing success rate. Some of the most important things to consider whilst posting to Instagram are:

Monday is the strongest day to post in Instagram, due to it being the most engaging day of the week.

3:00-4:00pm is the most optimal time to post.

This time is mainly due to companies being online, ultimately stirring interaction.

Best times to post on Pinterest

Pinterest is regarded as one of the most unique social media platforms. This is due to its relatability and content. Overall, this network has over 100 million active Pinners, with its content usually having a longer lifespan than other social media networks.

Out of each social network, Pinterest has the most unusual suggested times. There’s little data suggesting to post on Pinterest during normal workday hours, mainly because it is seen as more of a relaxation network. Here’s a deeper insight into the best times to post on Pinterest:

Saturday is the highest recommended day to post.

8:00-11:00pm on Saturday are the most optimal posting times.

These recommended times are mainly due to Pinterest being considered as a relaxation network, where its users sit back and pin.

Best times to post on Twitter

At the moment, Twitter is one of the fastest ways businesses communicate with customers via social media. In fact, research has shown that 34.5% of customers prefer social media as a point of contact.

As well as the networks above, it’s important to know the best times to Tweet. To optimise your maximum audience potential each day, here are a few interesting facts about Twitter:

Monday-Friday are the recommended days to Tweet.

It’s best to post every weekday from 12:00-6:00pm.

These times are recommended due to click-through rates being higher during weekdays and work hours.

However, there is no set-in-stone minute of the hour to reach the best audience or get the most engagement. Of course, this is due to social media content and audiences being interchangeable for each industry. We at Ivy recommend every business beginning their social media marketing process to start with these times. Then, when it becomes clear what works and what doesn’t, you can play with the timings and cater posts to what works best for you.

Do you require any social media support for your company? Although specialising in content marketing , we at Ivy Marketing also offer a variety of social media management packages. Be sure to contact us today for a free, no obligation quote.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/infographic-best-times-post-social-media/feed/0Welsh Charity to Change Lives Around the World with ‘Give a Brick’ Campaignhttp://ivymarketing.uk/welsh-charity-change-lives-around-world-give-brick-campaign/
http://ivymarketing.uk/welsh-charity-change-lives-around-world-give-brick-campaign/#respondSun, 14 Jan 2018 19:07:20 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=389As you well know, here at Ivy, we do love a good campaign, enjoying seeing Welsh businesses get creative when promoting their products, services and viewpoints. This week, we were slightly taken back by Welsh charity, THE SAFE FOUNDATION; a local non-profit organisation supporting grass-roots aid projects in India, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Cambodia. With […]

]]>As you well know, here at Ivy, we do love a good campaign, enjoying seeing Welsh businesses get creative when promoting their products, services and viewpoints.

This week, we were slightly taken back by Welsh charity, THE SAFE FOUNDATION; a local non-profit organisation supporting grass-roots aid projects in India, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Cambodia. With an incredible back story, the charity was founded in 2006 by inspirational twins Hannah and Lucy Fitt, training disadvantaged youngsters in the UK to work at the charity’s projects around the globe.

In 2012, Lucy was working on a placement with the Welsh Government in Zambia when she died in a car crash tragedy; aged 32.

SAFE’s latest project in Southern India will help the Dalit community access education and health services in a £60,000 purpose-built community centre, and, in response to a request by the local community, the centre will be named ‘The Lucy Memorial Centre’ in her honour.

The centre, in the village of Mugaiyur, will be built as a collaborative project, uniting SAFE volunteers, disadvantaged and vulnerable young people from the UK and members of the nomadic Dalit community, one of India’s poorest and most stigmatised groups.

Once built the centre will run as a sustainable social enterprise, connecting people and businesses from the local area by providing health resources and educational opportunities.

SAFE co-founder Hannah said naming the project after Lucy was suggested by the Dalit community themselves and was the perfect way to honour her sister’s memory.

SAFE managing director, Hannah commented:

“Lucy’s death was devastating. It’s so complicated losing an identical twin. From the moment you are conceived you’ve got someone with you sharing all the milestones together, it gives you confidence.

“It was special. When you lose that, it feels physical, you lose part of your own identity. You have to learn to be independent.

“When Lucy died, lots of people said SAFE was her legacy, but I know she would have said that it was not about us, it was about the people we support. This Centre is a massive part of her legacy, it does give a nod to the work she’s done. I was being protective before, now I want to say, there is this Centre that can do something incredible named after her.

“I can’t stress how important this Centre is. It’s practical, it will build skills and it will help the most vulnerable access human rights. It will break down stigmas about the community we are working with. Initially around 400 people will be helped, but over the years we will reach out to many more.

“Every penny we raise will go directly to building the centre. This is true of all our work and we are so proud of that.”

Hannah also revealed how she and Lucy had been inspired to form ‘SAFE’ originally:

“We were always encouraged as a family to be conscious of our community and those around us. It was the way we were brought up. After our A-levels we went off to volunteer, Lucy was in Uganda and saw great stuff, but she also saw gaps, so we decided to do something.

“It’s strange, the real trigger was watching Comic Relief when me and Lucy were nine-years-old. People say they can’t watch it, to turn it off, no, watch it, we were nine and we suddenly realised all is not happy and rosy in the world.”

In October 2017 Hannah travelled to Mugaiyur to lay the foundation stone of ‘The Lucy Memorial Centre’ and now the hard work really starts.

Give a Brick Campaign

The Safe foundation is looking to raise £25,000 towards the building of ‘The Lucy Memorial Centre’ in southern India via its ‘Give a Brick Campaign.’

But this is more than a brick. It’s an education, it’s a livelihood, it’s a hot meal each day, it’s shelter, it’s a health service and it’s a way of establishing independence and confidence for some of the poorest people in the world.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/welsh-charity-change-lives-around-world-give-brick-campaign/feed/0What it’s like to work at Ivy Marketinghttp://ivymarketing.uk/like-work-ivy-marketing/
http://ivymarketing.uk/like-work-ivy-marketing/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 14:57:50 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=386This month, we fired some questions at Megan Donnan; the latest addition to the Ivy Marketing family. Joining the team as a Content Writer, we wanted to share what working for Ivy Marketing is like with our readers. What is your role at Ivy Marketing? I began my time in the company as an intern, […]

]]>This month, we fired some questions at Megan Donnan; the latest addition to the Ivy Marketing family. Joining the team as a Content Writer, we wanted to share what working for Ivy Marketing is like with our readers.

What is your role at Ivy Marketing?

I began my time in the company as an intern, dedicating two days a week to working for Ivy Marketing throughout my third year at University. Having always had a keen interest in the media industry, I always knew I would like a career in the sector and so I started applying for internships during my studies as a third year. A couple of months into my internship, the Ivy team offered me a full-time job, and here I am today; Content Writer at Ivy Marketing. I mainly concentrate on producing content for our clients. This means that no two days are the same; which is great! The fact that Ivy Marketing has contracts that work across a number of different sectors means that I’m constantly switching mindset – one minute I may be trying to understand what type of social media posts a car leasing company wants, the next I may be assessing/researching the recruitment sector for a blog post.

What’s the best thing about working for Ivy Marketing?

Everyone in the Ivy Marketing team are passionate. Their enthusiasm for their work is contagious, which is why I feel a sense of excitement here. We never know what project or brand will come our way, which makes both the company and the industry very exciting to me. Having had some experience with a graphic design company in the past, at the moment I would say that I particularly enjoy writing blogs for our web design client. It’s always interesting to learn how other parts of the industry works, whether it be web design, print design or infographics.

Why did you choose to work in the marketing industry?

This might sound silly, but I really feel like I can make a difference to people’s lives by working in this industry. Part of our mission statement at Ivy Marketing is that we enable our customers to realise their full potential. There’s a real sense of pride knowing that I/we have serviced a company, whether it be through content, social media management or web copy.

Are there any employee benefits by working for Ivy Marketing?

It’s pretty helpful to have a job where majority of your work is done on a computer/online. The team at Ivy Marketing are great when it comes to flexible working hours. For example, a couple of weeks ago I had a horrendous cold. Instead of having sick leave/showing up to the office and spreading my bugs, I was able to work from home. It’s really helpful to know that the team will help you out when need be. This makes me, as an employee, want to help them out where I can as well. We are a team, and it’s great to feel appreciated.

What’s the office like to work in?

Working at Ivy Marketing is like being in a club. Imagine working with people who not only get what you’re talking about, but love it too! Plus, the office is pretty swanky as we are based in the Brewery Quarter in Cardiff. This proves to be rather tempting at 5pm on a Friday- which we almost always fall for!

What are the next steps for you and Ivy Marketing?

For me, I’m excited to create more content while working with our fabulous clients! We have some great business prospects on the horizon, and so I’m looking forward to tackling what the future brings with the team at Ivy Marketing.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/like-work-ivy-marketing/feed/0Ivy Marketing named as finalist for the Welsh SME Business Awards 2017 http://ivymarketing.uk/ivy-marketing-named-finalist-welsh-sme-business-awards-2017/
http://ivymarketing.uk/ivy-marketing-named-finalist-welsh-sme-business-awards-2017/#respondMon, 09 Oct 2017 11:11:17 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=380We at Ivy Marketing are proud to announce some pretty awesome news. This week, we have been named as finalists for a Welsh SME Business Award, nominated under the Small Business of the Year category. Helping Welsh entrepreneurs achieve credibility for their business skills and the businesses they operate, our Founder, Abigail Moses, is thrilled to […]

]]>We at Ivy Marketing are proud to announce some pretty awesome news. This week, we have been named as finalists for a Welsh SME Business Award, nominated under the Small Business of the Year category.

Helping Welsh entrepreneurs achieve credibility for their business skills and the businesses they operate, our Founder, Abigail Moses, is thrilled to have received the nomination.

“We have had a great first year in business, from moving to our new offices in the Brewery Quarter to building out our team of writers, it’s great to see our efforts recognised in this way. I would like to thank all of our clients who nominated us for this award as well as my amazing team” she said.

With an aim to recognise, promote and celebrate the Welsh SME Business sector, the award ceremony will be held on the 26th October at Portland House, Cardiff Bay. As a black-tie event, the do will give the Ivy team a reason to step away from the Mac and meet some of the amazing companies operating in Wales.

Creative Oceanic, the organisers of the event, have been delivering award ceremonies over the last seven years in eight different cities including Belfast, London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester Leicester, Birmingham and launched events in Dublin. Creative Oceanic has successfully been delivering awards in the hospitality, food, hair and beauty and independent retail sector.

Irfan Younis, CEO of Creative Oceanic, said: “We are delighted by the support we have had from the Welsh public who have voted for their favourites to show them the appreciation they deserve. The awards aim to celebrate the most dedicated and successful SME business professionals and organisations in Wales. We wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

In addition, the awards support the Make-A-Wish Foundation to fundraise for a worthwhile cause, allowing people to respond with generosity to the calls for help.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/ivy-marketing-named-finalist-welsh-sme-business-awards-2017/feed/0The Safe Foundation: Top tips for marketing in the international charity sectorhttp://ivymarketing.uk/safe-foundation-top-tips-marketing-international-charity-sector/
http://ivymarketing.uk/safe-foundation-top-tips-marketing-international-charity-sector/#respondThu, 28 Sep 2017 15:03:05 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=361Eager to celebrate the amazing women in Welsh business, this week we at Ivy Marketing were luckily enough to interview Hannah Fitt, the Founder of Cardiff-based charity; Safe Foundation. Discussing both the challenges and rewards of promoting a charitable business, Hannah paints a picture of the reality of working in the industry, sharing her experiences […]

]]>Eager to celebrate the amazing women in Welsh business, this week we at Ivy Marketing were luckily enough to interview Hannah Fitt, the Founder of Cardiff-based charity; Safe Foundation. Discussing both the challenges and rewards of promoting a charitable business, Hannah paints a picture of the reality of working in the industry, sharing her experiences and tips with our readers.

Hi Hannah, what is the SAFE Foundation and how did it all start?

The SAFE Foundation is an international development charity. Half of our work takes places overseas in countries that are developing and half takes places here in the UK where we work with vulnerable young people. We deliver health, education and skills projects to people and communities who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them.

We started back in 2006. Myself and my twin sister, Lucy have been brought up in an environment where we were taught values of giving back, taking part and supporting people who need it so it was natural that we started volunteering and getting involved in projects overseas from a young age. Lucy spent a year in Uganda after high school and saw how there was some amazing international work going on but also how some support still struggles to filter down to some of the most vulnerable people in communities. People who often get left behind because of a specific barrier or issue they face; so for example, we work with children who have special needs in Uganda, The Gypsy and tribal communities in India, Child labourers in Cambodia and young people in the UK who are disengaged and disenfranchised. We saw an opportunity to do something very specifically for these groups and so our projects are small but very focussed.

We struggled initially as an international charity to gain support because people are naturally sceptical about where their money goes and tend to relate less to international issues than things happening on their doorstep. People found it hard to see the relevance of helping overseas unless it is in response to a crisis. This is why we thought it was essential to do a UK project where we could bridge that knowledge gap and educate young people who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) and who are facing multiple challenges (like homelessness, mental health issues etc). We teach them about Global Education topics – things like immigration, cultural sensitivity, responsible consumerism etc. Importantly we then give these young people the opportunity to contextualise their learning and experience an overseas project. When they come back they are ready to reflect on their own issues with a global perspective and we have a great track record of not only getting these young people positively back into jobs and training – but also creating shiny, happy and conscientious people.

We notice that you are currently recruiting for PR and Communications volunteers, can you tell us a little bit about that scheme.

We love our volunteers! They inspire us every day. SAFE is a really great place to come and learn about yourself and get involved in new skills and experiences so we have an exciting mix of volunteering opportunities at our HQ.

The PR and Comms team, as you can imagine are full of creativity and artistic flair and they help us to keep on top of our social media, promote campaigns for our projects, make videos of our work (to show people at our events or to send to funders); basically find really creative ways to help our supporters (existing and potential) to learn, connect and engage with what we do.

Its so much fun though – we have a laugh, we let the volunteers take a project and run with it and we are interested in being a little quirky and standing out from the crowd a little so the guys have fun with that.

We are interested in people. They are at the heart of everything and if you are an ideas person, or a closet (or out) artist of some sort then get involved.

Although you do great deal of digital marketing, we know that you deliver talks. How important is it to have a physical presence when spreading the word of your business?

Its essential. Personally I do a lot of public speaking and I will never ever stop getting passionate or enthusiastic about we do and that’s what people want to feel. Its a great way to project the passion and love for what we do. It doesn’t matter what industry or sector we work in – we are all dealing with people on some level and you can’t beat having a conversation with someone or putting a face to a name. We are also a really accessible and open organisation. We aren’t a group of people sitting in an HQ in a high rise office somewhere. We love it when people come in and have a cuppa with us – The board and the management are always at an event partying with the best of them – and it helps people respond to us on that human level.

Our digital presence really does reflect the personalities of the people behind the screen and we like to extend that to the real life experience.

What would you say the biggest challenges are in marketing in the charitable space?

Its competitive, the same as any industry. Making your appeals relevant and having mainstream appeal is hard – especially in the international sector. We are dealing with people at their most vulnerable and disadvantaged but we don’t want to appeal to people’s sense of guilt or obligation – we want to appeal to their sense of compassion and empathy while being allowed to have a great time at an event for example. So finding the balance between being an exciting, fun and dynamic charity and portraying the magnitude the desperation and need in our projects is always going to be a real challenge.

We are seeing an influx of charitable start-ups in Wales; what tips would you give to new organisations looking to gain traction?

Slow and steady wins the race. Before we started The SAFE Foundation we started something called The Juniper Orphan Fund and we weren’t ready. We had the people, we had some momentum of supporters, but we didn’t have the skills. Everyone involved in charity has a humanitarian heart – it’s why they are doing what they do – but people who care can often spread themselves too thin or try to do so much quickly. The need is always going to be there – so set yourself with the skills and knowledge first so you know that what you deliver is sustainable and realistic.

Also – people are scared of partnership work. Its always great to include as many likeminded people as possible if its going to make a difference – so don’t be precious or protective of your ideas. Share the love.

What are the next steps for SAFE foundation?

We are currently getting ready to deliver the next stage of our Global Education course for corporate clients which is important and exciting – as well as working with Ex Welsh Goal Keeper – Neville Southall to deliver it to more vulnerable young people in Ebbw Vale.

Personally, I’m off to India in October to deliver social enterprise training to our community and partners in one of our projects there.
We are going to be celebrating Halloween as best we do (its one of the highlights of the year!) and generally we are going to be moving into Bristol and the South West with our UK project and we are working at making it an amazing digital experience so watch this space.

We are always looking for volunteers – to work locally and internationally so get in touch to find out more.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/safe-foundation-top-tips-marketing-international-charity-sector/feed/0Introbiz Founder on how networking can strengthen your marketing strategyhttp://ivymarketing.uk/introbiz-founder-networking-can-strengthen-marketing-strategy/
http://ivymarketing.uk/introbiz-founder-networking-can-strengthen-marketing-strategy/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2017 11:17:41 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=350Though focused primarily on digital marketing in Wales, we at Ivy Marketing are also concerned with traditional forms of promotion. This week, we spoke with Tracey Smolinksi; the ‘Queen of Networking’. As the Founder of Wales’ leading independent business network, Introbiz, Tracey paints a clear picture of how important getting face-to-face with people still is in […]

]]>Though focused primarily on digital marketing in Wales, we at Ivy Marketing are also concerned with traditional forms of promotion. This week, we spoke with Tracey Smolinksi; the ‘Queen of Networking’.

As the Founder of Wales’ leading independent business network, Introbiz, Tracey paints a clear picture of how important getting face-to-face with people still is in this digital age.

Tell us a little bit about Introbiz and where it all started.

I am very open about the fact that I got networking very wrong during my first three months. I gave it the hard sell and almost completely gave up; but, not until I took some sound advice.

I started networking in the correct way, by building relationships and trust and went on to sell £100,000 worth of advertising revenue over the next 6 months. I saw first-hand how powerful and profitable networking could be for business. Following this I spotted a gap in the market and decided to start my own networking company, and so Introbiz was born!

What advice would you give to those new to networking?

Smile, be engaging and interested in others. Just be yourself and get to know people, be yourself and ask about how you can help them first. Always think it’s not about you it’s about helping others first, that way you build up the rapport, trust and people will get to like you as you help them. Don’t give it the hard sell, networking is all about building relationships first and the business will soon follow.

At Ivy, we very much sing the praises of creating online communities; how important is it for business leaders to still engage face-to-face with people?

Online is good but when you can look someone in the eyes, engage and ask questions about others, that cements the relationship further. People buy people and connections face to face is a great way to build rapport and trust.

We notice that you create regular content for the Introbiz website; why is this beneficial in promoting your brand?

You have to be at the forefront of people’s minds when they think of your types of services, i call it the TOMATO principle. Top Of Mind Attracts Top Opportunities. However, it takes at least 7 times for people to see your brand before they even react to you. By being there in the forefront, they’ll remember you as long as you can provide value and you have a fantastic offering. Business is all about solving a problem and serving a need. You also have to stand out, be different and make it a no brainer to buy your brand.

As a company that has a strong social media following, what tips would you give to companies eager to gain connections online?

Offer some free advice or tips, see how you can help others online, that’s when you start to build trust. If you add value to people’s businesses with free tips, they’ll be more likely to follow you. Also, engage in normal conversation on social media, which builds rapport, if you become robotic or you don’t engage in normal conversation people may think that you don’t care.

As somebody that spends the majority of their time networking in large groups, how did you cope with the solitude of writing your book; Master Networking?

Writing my book on my own I had to really focus but I always had in mind, I was writing it to share my mistakes and knowledge to help others. It’s always about adding value to other people’s businesses that motivated me to do this.

We’re looking forward to seeing Mark Wright of Climb Online speak at this year’s Expo; will digital marketing be playing a prominent role at this year’s event?

Yes, digital marketing is very much the focus this year and we’ve got a lot of exciting things happening with Introbiz this year and next. We are learning more about online sales funnels and this will be launched at the expo with Andy Phillips from Funnel Centric. Introbiz is passionate about learning new things and communicating our new knowledge to everyone else to help them in their businesses and to assist with their growth and ours. Mark Wright is an exceptional speaker, engaging inspiring, charismatic but very knowledgeable too.

What are your future plans for Introbiz?

Future plans are very exciting going forward, we’re working on our franchise model at the moment, as Introbiz is going global. We’re getting involved with more training events next year to inspire others. We’re also working on helping more start-ups, watch this space, exciting times ahead. It’s always about helping more people in business.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/introbiz-founder-networking-can-strengthen-marketing-strategy/feed/0How animation can bring your marketing strategy to life; an interview with Jessica Morgan, Founder of Jessica Drawshttp://ivymarketing.uk/animation-can-bring-marketing-strategy-life-interview-jessica-morgan-founder-jessica-draws/
http://ivymarketing.uk/animation-can-bring-marketing-strategy-life-interview-jessica-morgan-founder-jessica-draws/#respondMon, 18 Sep 2017 12:31:18 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=343As you know, at Ivy Marketing, content is our thing; eager to spread the word of the latest trends in digital marketing. Wanting to delve deeper into the world of animation, we this week caught up with Jessica Morgan; Founder of award-winning company; Jessica Draws. Hi Jessica, tell us a little bit about your company, […]

]]>As you know, at Ivy Marketing, content is our thing; eager to spread the word of the latest trends in digital marketing. Wanting to delve deeper into the world of animation, we this week caught up with Jessica Morgan; Founder of award-winning company; Jessica Draws.

Hi Jessica, tell us a little bit about your company, where did it all start?

I am my company so I’ll introduce myself Hi, I’m Jess. Designer, illustrator, doodler, cheese eater, wine enthusiast, mother, wife, dog owner. I’m also my sales guy, my marketing guy, my business development guy, my finance guy, (I’m not so good at that last one) and everything else in between. I run head first into things and ask questions later. I say yes to everything and then learn how to do it if I don’t know how to already. I like a challenge, I like to be busy and building a business, getting married and raising kids has kept me busy and on my toes over the last 5 years. That’s the way I like it. I’m a huge animated film fan, sci-fi and fantasy book fan and I absolutely LOVE dragons and wish they were real.

I did everything by the book. I did my Art Foundation course, completed my degree in Graphic Communication and went to work as an illustrator for a humongous greetings company. I was in charge of Santa. Yes, you heard right. It was my job to design and illustrate thousands of Santa Clause’s for use on gift wrap and cards all year around. After two years of a continuous Christmas my eye started twitching and I left to try something new. I went to work as a web and app designer for another company. I lasted about a year there before I realised I hated being told what to do and I hated the rubbish money. I realised if I wanted more, I had to make it happen myself instead of waiting for someone to give me the opportunity. In June 2012 I officially became a freelance designer. I went home and freaked out for a bit, wondering what the hell I’d done but I bucked up my ideas and started working on freelancer sites such as People Per Hour and freelancer.com to build up some work, as well as harassing local companies to hire me.

Slowly but surely, with local recommendations and referrals and repeat customers from freelancer sites I built up a great reputation and a thirst and enthusiasm I’d never had before while working for someone. I built on the reputation and my confidence grew and I started attending networking events and building relationships through groups, speaking events and even more referrals.

I love being a designer and an illustrator but I also love and thrive on my roles as the marketer, sales person, project manager and every other role I have to fill to make my business work. I love when customers come back to me for subsequent work because they were so happy with something I did before. It’s the most satisfying feeling. I love being able to live my life the way I want, working hard but with the flexibility to have family time and doing something different every single day!

I’ve worked in all areas of the design industry from brand development, web and app design, illustration, print design and everything in between but because of my background in illustration and my own personality I like to think I can bring some personality to what could otherwise be super bland and corporate client messages. My catchphrase is ‘strictly not for corporate wallflowers’. I’m all about injecting some personality into print marketing, digital marketing and finding new ways of hooking eyeballs and keeping them hooked! I started off mainly working on print and web design but I made sure I kept up with the marketing trends and I was soon creating infographics (data in images) for loads of local companies including Go Compare, Folly Farm, CE Wales, Cardiff University, local letting agents and many more. I turned this into a speciality and my ethos is ‘whatever data you’re dealing with, it doesn’t have to be dull’. I’ve turned transforming boring data into engaging imagery into an art-form. I expanded on this idea and now offer animated promotional videos to clients which have been hugely popular. I’ve also been involved in some fantastic events and created some bespoke illustration work for major city events like Cardiff Winter Wonderland and worked on some illustrative maps for Carmarthenshire Tourism.

A mammoth excel spreadsheet or data table can be turned into a share-worthy animation that nails all of the salient points in minutes. A bland marketing brochure or sustainability report can be turned into a bold and bright one that people want to look at, touch, and actually read. A dry-as-crackers sales or product info statement can be turned into an infographic that makes a statement (and makes sense).
I now count among my clients, Calor Gas, Cardiff Council, Media Wales, Confused.com, Constructing Excellence in Wales, Jones Brothers Coffee Company Amsterdam, Project Aware Australia, PHS Group, Sainsbury’s, Arriva Trains Wales and many more.

How can businesses use animation for marketing?

More and more businesses are jumping on the animated video bandwagon, and for good reason. It’s a perfect way to communicate a brand’s spirit and ethos as well as communicate and engage with an audience in a format that can surpass perception of reality. Business can either invest in an animated advert or explainer video, bring their employees to life with character animation, inform and educate an audience with an animated infographic and even transform their dull internal company data into something super engaging and digestible. It really is being used for everything. We’ve just completed a video animation project for a global company who wanted a new way to encourage employees to take part in a company survey. What do you think will get the most response? A short, funny video or a text heavy email or leaflet dropped on their desk. It’s really about finding ways to communicate without letting the audience feel that it’s a chore. With such a fast pace of life for most people, watching a 30s animated video is much more appealing than reading a brochure. Not to mention the possibilities for reaching a much wider audience via social media.

We have noticed that search engines and social media sites are beginning to give a lot more weight to video, what would be your top tips for businesses that are just getting to grips with video marketing?

Keep it short! – Users are far more likely to click on a 2 minute video than a 20 minute video. People just don’t have that kind of time anymore.

Call to Action! Link back to your website. It’s pointless commissioning a well thought out video if you’re not going to tell users where to go to get that product/service.

Keep everything up to date! – You’ve created a video, you’ve added a call to action, and then your consumers arrive at an outdated website with no relevant information. Ooops! Keep all your online platforms fresh.

Make it valuable – What are consumers going to gain from watching it. Teach them something new, give them valuable insight or entertain them! 65% of users say they’d share a video if it was informative.

Show your brand personality – As the video says, your competitors are probably already marketing with video so make sure you stand out. What differentiates your products and services from your competitors?

Don’t scrimp on quality – Did you know that 61% of users have been put off buying a products after watching a bad explainer video

Share it! – Use social media and get the video seen! Send it via email marketing to existing and potential clients.

It doesn’t need to be expensive or time consuming – Businesses are regularly commissioning videos like this one but if you’re a small business with a small budget why not get creative with your phone? Interview a happy customer or introduce a new product that’s arrived and share on social media. But don’t forget the points above!

Are there any trends in animation that you think will be prominent in 2018?

Content has always been the centrepiece of effective digital marketing, but content in 2018 will need to be more personalised to have an impact. People are responding to brands in a very different way when they present a unique story, something original and personal. Calls to action are much more effective when brands offer a personal touch to their video marketing.

Big data will also play a huge role. Brands are able to get much more insight into how their marketing is performing and it will allow them to target potential customers a lot more accurately. Therefore, it will play a huge roll in the clever scripting and style when creating any video content as brands will have much more information in who they are targeting, what this audience likes/dislikes, where they shop, who they share with, what time of day they are using social media etc. Big data leads to more powerful analysis, helping advertisers track conversion rates and other factors easier. This will in turn impact the personalised content they inject into the videos, making them more successful.

The circle of content life

We hear that you just had a baby! Congratulations! How are you finding juggling a business and being aMum?

I did, baby number 2 arrived in July this year and now our house and office is a hubbub of creative chaos. Juggling is definitely the right word, it’s tough. Luckily we’ve had quite a bit of practice now as our first born is one and a half now so we’re used to working odd hours. It’s quite normal for us to be working at 2 in the morning and napping at 2 in the afternoon. Or working in the morning and running about for meetings in the day. We have to work in shifts at the moment so it’s a challenge with deadlines but as long as we’re committed we make it work. Luckily, our regular clients find it hilarious when they open their inbox first thing in the morning to find we’ve delivered some work to them about 1:15am. It’s quite obvious that this is how it’ll be for a few years but once schools/nursery starts we can hopefully get back into a routine but for now, sleep is definitely something that happens to other people!

What are the plans for Jessica Draws going forward?

This May (2017) my husband Dave is officially joined the business full time as an animator and tech guy. He’s been working behind the scenes for years so it’s exciting that we are now in a position that he can come on board full time. We also employ another designer, matt who has helped us keep on top of the workload. I still love designing but I have transitioned into a project manager role recently which has been a great experience. I love working with people.

Because of my commitment to helping young people build up a portfolio (I know how hard it was when I was starting) I also hire freelancers on an ad hock basis. Not all designers skills are going to be suitable for every job so I have the freedom to tailor skills to the appropriate job. This allows for happy clients, happy freelancers and a happy business owner. At the moment I have 3 regular freelancers that I work with and the aim is to grow this to 5 and then 10 over the next couple of years. I plan to acquire freelancers of different skills sets; animators, app designers, web designers, illustrators, voiceover artists, composers so that I can offer a range of services and styles to clients. This also means that even when an existing client needs something in a different style or on a different platform, Jessica Draws Media Ltd can still deliver and that makes their lives easier. I do plan to hire another designer full time this year but I’m going to let Dave settle in first!

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/animation-can-bring-marketing-strategy-life-interview-jessica-morgan-founder-jessica-draws/feed/0Why top Welsh businesses are investing in content marketinghttp://ivymarketing.uk/top-welsh-businesses-investing-content-marketing/
http://ivymarketing.uk/top-welsh-businesses-investing-content-marketing/#respondTue, 04 Jul 2017 11:56:09 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=318Here at Ivy Marketing, we are passionate about a few things; namely content marketing, social media and those cute little cookies they sell in Starbucks, you know, the ones with the sprinkles? Luckily for us, over the past few years we have seen many different types of Welsh businesses investing in content marketing. From estate […]

]]>Here at Ivy Marketing, we are passionate about a few things; namely content marketing, social media and those cute little cookies they sell in Starbucks, you know, the ones with the sprinkles?

Luckily for us, over the past few years we have seen many different types of Welsh businesses investing in content marketing. From estate agents and technology startups to recruitment firms and news titles; Cardiff is bursting with creative firms understanding that content is King!

Here’s what some of Wales’ top firms have to say on the matter:

Chris Mccolgan, Content Coordinator at leading news title,Business News Wales, is eager to promote the PR opportunities writing great content can influence.

“Wales’ businesses are investing in content marketing as they have realised the huge potential to share their stories with the Welsh market and beyond. With the omnipresence of social media touching nearly every part of our lives, businesses are finding that content is the key to reaching out to this ever-available audience. At Business News Wales, we are proud to offer our clients a channel in which they feature and distribute their content”.

Tracey Smolinski, Director of Wales’ largest business network, Introbiz, uses content to help its much-valued members, sharing client news in order to help grow their network.

‘At Introbiz we really value content marketing, it allows Introbiz to provide insightful content in which our members and visitors can learn from, as well as providing member specific content, allowing added value to the membership as our website is viewed 10,000-12,000 times monthly. Alongside this, we endeavour to share our members news in order to aim to grow their business.’

“Content marketing is proving to be a key part of our business by creating engaging articles that are relevant for our customers. By creating fresh and original content it helps the business become a ‘go to’ for thought leadership within our region”

Rhino Site Services, the UK’s leading construction recruitment firm is investing in content marketing to support their SEO strategy. Talking on their digital marketing focus, Andrew Roberts, the agency’s Director comments:

“At Rhino our tech and online presence is vital to our continued growth. Content marketing has been vital to our presence online. Our business works on a national basis which is broken into regions. Regionally being based in Wales this is a large area of development for us and investing into this is vital to our long-term strategy. Construction is booming and Wales is no different to the rest of the UK, the Welsh construction industry is set to grow at nearly three times the UK average, with over 27,000 jobs to be created in the coming five years. The most comprehensive and up-to-date industry forecast predicts an annual average growth rate in output of 7.1% for Wales, compared with 2.5 % for the rest of the UK between 2016 and 2020. Driving activity online and adding content to our blog, news and increasing our SEO present with continued investment will get us a bigger piece of that pie.”

“Content marketing is proving to be a key part of our business by creating engaging articles that are relevant for our customers. By creating fresh and original content it helps the business become a ‘go to’ for thought leadership within our region “

William Roberts, Director of web design agency, WebBox Digital, says the relationship between great design and content should never be underestimated, with engaging web copy only enhancing user experience.

“Though creating beautiful systems and websites is our focus, the need to drive traffic to them is equally as important. This is why we advise our clients to invest in content marketing, allowing them to position themselves as thought-leaders while encouraging those all-important leads”.

eClean is an online platform that aims to ‘streamline the cleaning and maintenanceindustry’.Recently referredto as ‘the Uber of the cleaning world’, the firm say that investing in great content is essential in crafting a great brand personality, especially for a cleaning company. Tej Randeva, Founder of eClean comments:

“Our marketing is dissected into many different areas, with content allowing us to speak to customers while building on our employer brand. Being a business that is centred on great people, by creating fun, informative blog posts and web copy you can truly bring your brand to life”.

“While eClean is my latest venture, I have relied on the powers of content marketing for many years, with strong SEO holding the power to convert readers into loyal customers”.

Forex Trading, a Welsh start-up offering traders the chance to invest inthe foreign exchange, use content to give traders a window into the world of finance. Director, Iain Walker says:

“Following key political events such as Brexit and Trump’s election, we have seen a huge level of Welsh traders looking to capitalise on increasing market volatility and trade international currencies. Showing a larger interest in world politics than ever before, as a business we need to give our customers a window into politics, with blogs allowing us to do just that. From live news bulletins to in-depth features, through content we can craft our niche in the ever-changing world of finance”.

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/top-welsh-businesses-investing-content-marketing/feed/0Did you see us on the front cover of Cardiff Times?http://ivymarketing.uk/see-us-front-cover-cardiff-times/
http://ivymarketing.uk/see-us-front-cover-cardiff-times/#respondMon, 19 Jun 2017 16:09:01 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=313We at Ivy Marketing are thrilled to be featured on the front cover of Cardiff Times’ June edition. Following our move to the stunning offices of the Brewery Quarter, we are fortunate enough to have marked the occasion with an appearance in the city’s local magazine, sharing the experiences of our first year in business […]

]]>We at Ivy Marketing are thrilled to be featured on the front cover of Cardiff Times’ June edition. Following our move to the stunning offices of the Brewery Quarter, we are fortunate enough to have marked the occasion with an appearance in the city’s local magazine, sharing the experiences of our first year in business with their readers.

Additionally, with Ivy Marketing’s first birthday fast approaching, our Director, Abigail Moses, took part in an interview to discuss all things content and what we’ve been up to in the past year. This interview can be found inside the edition, where Abigail discusses the story behind the company, the meaning of the name and a few tips on what all Cardiff businesses should be doing to succeed in today’s highly competitive digital market.

With several new recruits to the team, we are now well on our way to becoming a full suite marketing agency, having built our services our to include Digital PR, Video Production and much more.

This feature was very much a unique and rewarding way for us all to celebrate our progression, hoping this to be the first magazine feature of many!

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients and affiliates for their continued support!

]]>http://ivymarketing.uk/see-us-front-cover-cardiff-times/feed/0Top brands slaying social media http://ivymarketing.uk/top-brands-slaying-social-media/
http://ivymarketing.uk/top-brands-slaying-social-media/#respondTue, 11 Apr 2017 12:46:27 +0000http://ivymarketing.uk/?p=299Here at Ivy Marketing, we are a pretty nosey bunch, eager to stay up to date on new and innovative ways in which businesses are marketing their services. As Cardiff social media marketers, we take inspiration from other brands, excited by firms that contest the norm and prevail personality when managing their channels! From thought-provoking […]

]]>Here at Ivy Marketing, we are a pretty nosey bunch, eager to stay up to date on new and innovative ways in which businesses are marketing their services. As Cardiff social media marketers, we take inspiration from other brands, excited by firms that contest the norm and prevail personality when managing their channels!

From thought-provoking posts to memes that are close to the knuckle, social media is about a lot more than simply selling your business. With the modern consumer now incredibly savvy, we have defined the following as the top brands slaying it on social media.

GoPro

Nowadays, even cyclists that are yet to have their stabilisers removed are fully-equipped with a GoPro, with the brand having successfully stamped its name in pretty much every UK household. In addition to strong sales numbers, the camera manufacturers are also a pretty dab hand at social media, understanding the power of user-generated content. Encouraging GoPro users to share their videos on various channels, GoPro gets their customer’s to market their products on their behalf, showing the product off in all its glory.

Tesco Mobile

While thought to be a pretty uncool network to be on, Tesco Mobile are a must-follow brand on Twitter, working with a very personal tone when it comes to social media marketing. Described as ‘genius’ and ‘hilarious’ in industry magazine, AdWeek, Tesco Mobile, in our opinion, should be crowned King of Banter! From sending followers on wild goose chases to being borderline abusive in their comments, Tesco Mobile are our guilty pleasure here at Ivy.

Oreo

The UK has well and truly adopted a whole load of American treats, with the Oreo now being a staple feature in the British kitchen cupboard. With their strong social presence, it is no wonder why, with Oreo being rather creative when it comes to engaging with customers. Recently, the brand released a Vine video series spoofing classic horror films featuring cookies, creating increased brand awareness through their sophisticated digital efforts.

Paddy Power

Supported by a huge team of creatives, the betting brand, Paddy Power, are always coming up with new ways to offer free bets, building innovative marketing campaigns to encourage big user numbers. Enjoying an incredibly strong following on social media, Paddy Power love cropping images/videos and taking them out of context, making even the most serious of subjects such as Trump and Brexit light-hearted.

Looking for a social media agency in Cardiff? If so, contact us at Ivy Marketing today. With a team of in-house digital marketers, we will be sure to help!